Recipe: Arroz con Gandules

1 pound boneless pork shoulder ribs (also labeled as “country ribs”)

Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup long grain rice ½ cup sofrito

¼ cup tomato sauce 2 packets Goya Sazon con Culantro y Achiote ¼ cup Goya Perdigon Manzanilla olives 1 15-ounce can gandules (pigeon peas)

2 tablespoons canola

oil

Instructions: Season the ribs with salt and pepper and cut into ½-inch chunks. Set aside.

Wash the rice twice to remove impurities and some of the starch. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sofrito, tomato sauce, Goya Sazon, gandules, olives and 1 cup water. Set aside.

In a large pot or deep pan, heat canola oil over medium heat. Sear meat until crispy and brown. You may have to do this in batches. Remove meat from pot and set aside.

Place rice into the pot with the pork fond and stir until the rice has absorbed the oil, about 30 seconds. Add the sofrito mixture to the pot with the rice. Stir. Season with salt to taste. Add meat back into the pot, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. You don’t want the heat too high, but you do want to form the pegao at the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the rice is cooked and the meat is tender.

Sofrito

1

1

5

1

1 medium roma tomato, roughly chopped medium onion, roughly chopped cloves garlic, roughly chopped medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

Instructions: Place tomato in blender, blitz until smooth. Add onion and garlic and blitz until smooth. Add bell pepper and cilantro, blitz until smooth. Pour mixture into a standard ice cube tray and freeze.

Sofrito will keep frozen for six months. If using right away, set aside amount needed for recipe, or store in refrigerator for up to one day.